I like flea markets and power tools, parties and pillows. I’m a mommy and a decorator, and a diehard DIYer. Join me and my little family as we renovate our new (old) home with lots of love and plenty of elbow grease.

DIY Wire Console Table (or How I Got Tetanus)

Well, here it is. What we lovingly call the tetanus table round these parts. :) But more on that in a minute.

I really wanted a lightweight-looking console table under my whiteboard calendar, and I wanted to spend about $0 on the whole thing. I think I spent about $15 in the end (though, you can add a couple zeros on the end there as the hospital bills start rolling in! ha!). It ended up being a pretty fast project because I sort of made it up as I went. Don't you love it when things work out like that? I did have two inspiration photos in mind:

(I'm lacking image sources on both of these. Do you know them?)

I wanted a wire base and I was really feeling the hot pink look after holding up a little square of neon pink duct tape against the new blue wallpaper. Pink and blue are good friends, I think.

So I while I was buying sod a few weeks ago, I pick up one of these sheets of wire fencing for the project. I mean, isn't this just the *picture* of ominous?

I ended up scraping the underside of my arm pretty bad on the fence later that night as we were unloading the sod. We're 99% sure this is the tetanus virus entry site, since the symptoms of the virus usually show up about eight days after getting infected and it was on the eighth day I was hospitalized (almost exactly to the hour). Guys, seriously, please keep your boosters and your loved ones' up to date. It was really foolish of me to not stay up on mine. I looked back in my records and the last TDap booster I had was twelve years ago - just outside of the safe range. The past couple of weeks have not been fun, but at least I didn't die (grim, but that was a possible reality). There's some healing left to do (the doctors said I probably would have flu-like symptoms for about six months), but I am getting better every day and that keeps my spirits up. Again, thank you so much for all your well-wishes and support!

Okay! Back to the good stuff!

So to make this cute table, do yourself a favor and buy fencing that you don't have to trim much (I used my new Dremel saw - love). And also get fencing that is rust-free. Not only for the above-mentioned issues, but because it is a pain to clean off! I used a wire brush and some steel wool to clean off most of the rust here.

Then I sprayed the fencing with neon pink spray paint. I wish pink photographed better. This stuff is intense in real life! The color is really fun. To get full coverage, you'll need to do about three thin coats with drying time in between coats. I used two cans for the table.

While the fencing was drying, I built a table top out of a scrap piece of plywood. I cut the scrap into planks, spaced them out a bit and drilled down two pieces of flat trim to act as sort of strapping pieces.

Then I bent the fencing to fit the general shape of the table top. It's pretty sturdy wire, but you can bend it with some work.

I had these neon zip ties in the basement that worked really well to tie the ends together to hold the oval shape.

You can still mess with the wire frame after tying the ends together. The shape doen't have to be perfect, just shoot for symmetrical.

Then I traced out the oval shape, giving the table top just about an inch of a ledge.

And then I cut the plywood top out with my Dremel saw, sanded it up a little and then gave the whole thing a coat of pink paint.

I don't have a photo of the underside, but I used another small piece of trim to strap the tabletop to the fencing, so it's nice and secure on there. Also, the base is surprisingly sturdy, for how airy and light it looks!

It makes for a pretty place to put out business cards and hold my dry erase markers.

I know neon has been trending for a while now, which means it's probably on it's way out of style, but I still think it's fun in small doses. I would have never advised a client to spent a ton of money to buy a console in this color. But a cheapie DIY project that requires just a couple bucks and a few hour's time? I say go for the neon! Plus, paint is a super easy thing to change if down the road my retinas start to burn from the pink.

I am so happy you are better...and I am grateful the sharing of your story which I will pass on to my friends everywhere....We (meaning me and all of us parents) would never think of letter our children's vaccines lapse, but we often do not stay on top of our own. This is a lesson. But I am SO sorry you had to endure it. Hang in there, take it slow and I know you will feel better every day. xoxoxo

What a price to pay for a great table. Glad you are on the mend. I have never actually heard a tetanus story. Thank you because it is the good that t comes out of bad-- making people aware. I adore the wallpaper too!

So I am so sorry you got sick from this project but it was almost worth it. This looks so fab. And you have now just scared me into making our family go get our vac's ASAP! I am the clumsiest person alive!

Jenny your optimism on life is incredible! I don't think there is anything that could keep you down and out. Thank you for the inspiration you share; your blog is the first I check out each day.

That said, the first image that you were trying to source was featured in Lonny Mag Mar/Apr 2012, Interior Design by Kelley Carter.The second image can be found on the Dehn Bloom Design website, interior designer Allison Bloom.

Glad to hear that your story has inspired others to get their vaccines up to date! As a former microbiologist, now Momma to 5, tetanus can kill up to 20% of people who get it. I wish you very much the best in your recovery. (And the table does rock!)

First off I just want to say that I am so happy that you are feeling better!

I remember seeing a photo of the table when you posted your whiteboard calendar diy - and thinking that it was such a cool table that I wish you included a source for it. I had no idea it was a diy! Looks great I love it -not "tetanus worthy" though ha!

We were scraping down an old headboard this weekend that had old rusty screws, and I was definitely thinking that I am due for a booster - gotta get on it.

You are so freaking creative and that is coming from someone else who is creative, so it's really a compliment :) I am not handy with a saw, though. Wish I was, but I'm actually afraid to use one, so I give those jobs to my husband.

Jenny, Your table is fabulous!! Love the contrast of the pink with your new (lovely) wallpaper. I have an appt with our doc to get my tetanus booster next week; soooo sorry you have gone through this but thank you for sharing and encouraging us to get up to date. Mwah!

Are you kidding me with this genius?!?! how do you continue to top yourself?!? that looks so great, and I love the color against your wallpaper...and of course you styled it fabulously. And I think this is the first time we've seen your nails not-painted...so you MUST have been sick! ;)

funny you call it the tetanus table...several years ago when I was hospitalized with meningitis, we were convinced I got it from a ratty indoor carnival place, called Planet Pizza, where my kid's had attended a party. to this day we call it Planet Meningitis. Kind of funny, but kind of not.

That table is so darn cute. And I'm completely in love with the little plate that holds your cards! Is it vintage or can it be purchased somewhere?

I am so sorry to hear that you may still have to deal with symptoms for such a long time, but thank God you'll be okay! What would we do without you?! I just had a checkup and my doc asked about my last tdap. I didn't know when it was, but now I'll definitely just ask for a new shot! I wish you didn't have to be the cautionary tale, but hopefully your experience will save some others!

I try to keep up on my tetanus shot because I do a lot of remodeling. We have tomato cages made out of that stuff - we call it the tetanus jungle.

But my doctors (GP or OB) don't even stock tetanus boosters for adults - I had to go to either a pharmacy or the county health dept for all routine immunizations!! And I live in the Chicago area, not out in the boonies.

Thank you for sharing that story. I skiped the tetanus shot when I was a teenager because someone told me it was very painfull and well.....I was a teenager so I was a bit stupid. I can't believe I've gotten away with it for the past 10years. I'm getting one as soon as I can.....(I'm super wary of rusty things right now).

Thanks for the PSA. Tetanus lives in soil, so you don't need rust to get it; any small cut or wound will work. You got the double whammy of a scratch and working outside laying sod. I'm so glad you're okay!

it is a really clever project! I totally have the itch to try it out & definitely adding a dremel saw to my xmas list. so glad you are on the mend, hope you are surprised by joy even in this journey...!

Great project. Jenny can you tell us, how did you treat your scratch from the metal? Did you clean it well at the time or did you leave it? I have read that as long as you give any cut like that a thorough cleaning at the time it should be enough to avoid tetanus. I wonder if you could shed some light on how you handled it. thanks. Love your blog as always. Patty

Also, funny story - I gashed my forehead pretty bad in July and had to go to a minor emergency (it was on the weekend). They stitched me up and advised a booster. It really seemed like I had just had one, so I said I'd confirm Monday (which I did). The tone in my general practice nurses voice was pretty great though:

Me: "Uh, yeah, when was my last tetanus shot?"Her: "May 2011. Do you need an appoitment?!" (she acted like i must have lost a limb)Me: "naaaah, that's all I needed to know. Thanks though!"

Hey, you should market that table design. But, er, don't call it the Tetanus Table in the catalog. BTW, tetanus is caused by a bacteria, not a virus. Big difference, HUGE. Not to be picky or anything but it's important for Americans to learn the difference.

As funny as it is that this table is now referred to as "the tetanus table" I'm so glad to hear you are on the road to recovery. Luckily you're on the mend now, and have a fabulous table to boot. Love it!

Wow, that looks like a beautiful room. I love everything about it - the wallpaper, door colour and the table! I really enjoy your work as I think everything you do is a little unexpected but looks amazing. I'm glad to hear you're feeling better too...

You really got tetanus from this project? wow! I'm so glad everything turned out ok. I honestly thought you were joking when you first called it the tetanus table. At least it's cute, right? I hope you start feeling better.

Is it weird that I'm thinking that table was worth catching Tetanus for? A little I guess... but that table is just amazing! I hopped on the neon pink bandwagon a while ago too, you can see my little tray table on my blog http://bunniesandstripes.blogspot.fr/2012/04/happy-tray-table.html and on design sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2012/05/before-after-two-dip-dyed-side-table-redos.html

As much as I love your DIY table I'm mad at him (yes it has to be a him) for making you so sick! How scary, I'm so happy you're starting to feel better! I hope you are feeling 100% sooner then 6 months!!

As usual, another amazing project, Jenny. I'm so sorry you had to go through that - I had no idea Tetanus lasts in your system for so long - terrible! Please be well and take care. Just also wanted to say: everytime you have a new post, I get wild with excitement, expecting color and bold prints and DIY fabulousness. You never disappoint! Thank you :)

GLAD you are OK! Yes, this is a real risk with fence paneling like this - I grew up in the countryside, and these are commonly referred to as Bull Panels (strong enough to keep a bull in). Stay well, and so glad there was a happy ending (for both you and the table :)-SF

I had a question which a reader comment inspired: Do you think it would work to make this table out of a tomato cage? I am looking for a small nightstand type table. Is tomato wire as sturdy as what you used? Also, if we don't have your trusty saw, how could we cut the wire -- wire cutters not enough?